🐻 This is such a sweet book! I love anthropomorphized animals in children’s books, and this example is awesome because a Bear really wants to read books!

🐻 The artwork is absolutely lovely and it enhances the story so much!

🐻 The story is quite simple actually, but the emphasis that books are for everyone is loud and clear. Personally, I loved that the library was the place where Bear was finally welcomed to read as many books as he liked. Libraries are awesome!

Thank you @NetGalley and Capstone for an eARC of this book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

The narrative is well-written and is accompanied by good illustrations. This book does a wonderful job of introducing the idea of libraries and one's passion of reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review.

I do like reading and reviewing the occasional children’s book, especially when the book has a catchy title such as this one. In this story a friendly bear finds a book, gets his friend, a wise owl, to teach him how to read and then goes to town to find more books.

The townspeople aren’t surprised to see a talking bear, but they are surprised that this bear wants to read. After being rejected by a few places, the bear reaches a place which overflows with books and he is allowed to borrow a pile of books which he does, and he is filled with joy and excitement. Which is exactly the kind of response we should have from reading.

This is a lovely book and although it is for young readers, the colours, characters and simple storytelling will entertain anyone. If you like dipping into the occasional book for children you will enjoy this and if you are a child, or you have young children amongst your families and friends, this book would make a lovely gift.

Copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Bear starts an adventure to find more books to read. Bright, colorful pictures and a delightful librarian... this is a great picture for any library.

Thank you NetGalley & Capstone for this eARC of Books Aren’t for Bears.

I enjoyed everything about this book — the characters, the detailed illustrations, & the message: books are for everyone! Bear starts out content, but once he finds a book & learns to read, he realizes he wants more books & goes on an adventure to find some! I especially liked the book’s emphasis on the importance & impact of libraries. I would highly recommend this book to families with young children. This book is marketed towards ages 4-7 & I think that seems appropriate!

A very cute children's book about a bear that just wants to read. The art was adorable and the story was entertaining. I would love to read this book to my own child when she is older.

A silly but lovely story about a bear finding a love for books despite all the obstacles in his way. The "all are welcome" message is one that needs to be shared more in the world! I enjoyed the playful moments such as when the bear is riding into the town and recommend this to anyone looking for books to add to a library!

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

This is a story about a bear who is quite content with his life, until one day he finds a book, and like everyone who discovers a love for reading, he is not content with just one book! So he starts searching high and low for more books, but never finds any more. One day he finds a bicycle and wants to return it to its rightful owner, so he heads off into the city on the bike so he can return it and hopefully find more books. He finds a school and stops in hoping to find not only the owner of the bike but also more books, but he is told by a teacher that books aren't for bears. He leaves the bike behind as he continues his search for more books. At a bookshop he is also told that books aren't for bears. He's getting very sad and is about ready to head back to his home in the forest when he finds a library. He reminds himself that books aren't for bears, when the librarian invites him in (because librarians are amazing) and tells him that reading is for everyone.

The illustrations were very bright with bold colors and solid lines, showing the characters, particularly the animals, in a humanized way. I would definitely read this story to children more than once because the message is amazing and one that I wholeheartedly agree with because reading IS for everyone, they just need to find the right stories for them. Although I was a bit disappointed that the teacher and the bookseller discouraged Bear from reading. Overall I give this book 4.78 out of 5 stars.

My students truly loved reading this book! We love animal books and adding in humor is even better. Many of them are excited to purchase this book for themselves when it comes out.

Uuuwww wow I love this....

WHAT I LIKE:
•The illustration was great. No, no, no. Wait a sec, let me rephrase. I mean "perfect," and colorful. Is suited for ages 4–7.
But for me is more for ages 4-6, since is a short book with more illustration than words. (However, this is what I've been lookin' for😬).

MY PROBLEMS:
•I don't really get it what's the purpose of this sentence?
"But strangely, no grown-ups seemed at all concerned. That's the trouble with grown-ups. They hardly notice anything important."

For me, that sentence is out of context in this story and should be changed into something else that is more related to the story itself.

- I mean hey, what are you trying to say in here? Did you try to inform little kids that grown-ups (who apparently could be their parents) hardly notice anything important, and that could be a bear who's riding a bicycle in the middle of traffic or they hardly notice you, even as their own child?

From adult's prespective ofc I fully understand what you are trying to say, though in my opinion, not all grown-ups act like that. But,
Do 4- to 7-year-olds understand that? I doubt it.

•The FONT
I wish it was much thicker, so it would be easier to read. Like the font that is used in the speech balloon, that one is more visible. 

CREDIT:
Thank you NetGalley and Capstone, for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Books aren't for bears is well written with beautiful artwork. It's a story of finding passion for reading and going through extraordinary measures to continue that passion.

The illustrations were great, the typeface was also nice and all the words were legible and easy to read. The storyline was just okay, but the message was great that books are for everyone. My kids enjoyed the animals and that bear was finally able to have books and share them. Another good message of inclusion and being nice to everyone even if they are different from you.

Kid ages (2,4,6)

Delightful story about books, reading, and inclusivity. A little gem that will encourage little minds to expand and grow.

This is a super cute book! I love the illustrations. I really like how the hero of the story is the library/a librarian. Because she is right books are for everyone! My kids loved the book as well.

This is a cute story about learning to read and wanting to read more . This book introduces the concept of libraries in a cute way. The pictures are wonderful and bright . The book is written in away that small children will love this . I know my 6 year old loved it .

Thanks netgalley

This book was so lovely! A great message about reading and libraries. The pictures were colorful, and the story was sweet. I would happily include this book in our collection and would also look for it to add to my storytime bookshelf!

This was such a fun and sweet little book to read with my young nephew. The illustrations were colourful and bright, holding his attention, he laughed at the adventures the bear went on the find new books, & thought the librarian was very silly for saying books weren't for bears, books are for everyone according to my nephew! Can't say I disagree with him given we had two kitties happily purring away in our laps as we were reading this book together and they seemed to enjoy this story as much as us. All in all a very sweet and endearing story.

"Books Aren't for Bears" is an adorable and funny children's book with a lesson on how reading is for everyone. It's cute, sweet, and short, perfect for every family.

This adorable book warmed by book-loving heart. Bear finds a book and learns to read but has only one book. Bear heads to the city where he finds books...but not for him. When Bear finds his reading paradise I may have teared up a bit. This book is perfect for the beginning of the school year for early childhood classrooms or libraries. I plan on buying this one.

Books Aren't For Bears by Mark Barry is a delightful little story about how important libraries are to the community. Katy Halford's colorful, cozy illustrations draw readers of all ages in to Bear's journey into the city to find more books. There are some silly details that don't make a whole lot of sense (how did Bear learn how to ride a bicycle?!), but these can lead to some imaginative conversations between child and caregiver.